The present invention relates to a game machine and particularly to an improved game machine which is adapted to give a player an indication of the proper time to operate an operating member for controlling moving visual symbols on reels.
A game machine, such as a slot machine, has three to five reels mounted individually rotatably, each said reel having an annular series of various symbols on its peripheral surface at regular intervals. In a slot machine having a plurality of reels with an annular series of various symbols on the peripheral surface of each reel, upon the respective reels stopping at random during each game to display various combinations of symbols, the machine detects predetermined prize-winning combinations of symbols to cause the release of different numbers of coins, tokens or the like in response to the occurrence of a predetermined prize-winning combination of symbols on the respective reels in the stopped position and to the occurrence of a specific symbol, for instance a picture of a cherry, on the leftmost reel in the stopped position. There have recently been proposed many kinds of TV-type slot machines with a CRT as a visual display screen for presenting a game. Such slot machines are adapted to present symbols analogous to those of a mechanical slot machine on the CRT screen, by simulating mechanical reels with an annular series of various symbols on the peripheral surface at regular intervals in states of rest and motion.
There are two types of ways to stop the reels. In one, the reels are automatically brought to a stop by means of a control circuit in the slot machine after a predetermined period of time. In the other, the reels can be stopped by operation of the player. In the latter type of slot machines there are provided stop button switches associated with the respective reels for stopping the reels individually. The slot machine, generally provided with three reels, is adapted to allow a bonus game when the arrangement of symbols of "BAR" on the respective reels occurs. The slot machine, in a bonus game, causes the pay out of a predetermined number of coins, tokens or the like in the case of an occurrence of the symbol of a cherry on any one of the reels as well as an occurrence of a predetermined combination of symbols.
In the slot machine mentioned above, since the occurrence of prize-winning symbols depends on the well-timed operations of the stop buttons, skilled players have many chances to win prizes, whereas there are limited chances for beginners.